Fuse for a projectile.



H. B. STRANGE. FUSE FOB. A PROJEGTILE.

APPLIOATION FILED 0OT.4, 1911.

1,077,439 Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY ISLAND STRANGE, OF SHEFFIELD, NGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THOMAS FIRTH..AND SONS, LIMITED, OF SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND.

FUSE FG'R. A PROJECTlLE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application. filed. October 4, 1911.

To Mw/1,0311, t ma?! cof/wem: Y l The Walls of a Y, in known that I,HARRY BLAND Scannen, a subject of the King of England, and residing atSheeld.A in Yorkshire, England, hwvefinvented a new and Improved Fusefor a Projectile, of which the following isY a. specification. I his`rvinvention relates to an improved,

1,0'7739. Patented N ov. 4, 1913.

Serial N o. 652,796.

portiouof the tube are of such thickness relatively to the bore as vtowithstand the ex losive force of a cartridge of high. power. lo otherwords, the tube is made of material of approximately the same I tensilestre ness of the tube illustrated in the particular refbein@- thoseofthe .303 rifle barrel. A with an explo f tionl of the tubeintermediate the ends is weakened, a's for instance by making the fusefor a projectile and has erence to a projectile llled sive which isrequired to burst it on the impact of the projectile with its objective.Walls of the tube thinner. In order to sup- A fuse for a projectile ofthis type is ofp port the tube .between the end beyond the ten providedwith a cartridge which when l weakened portion andthe base so as toprethe impact takes place moves forward and j veut rupture of the tubeby inertia or mois exploded to ignite the bursting charge l mentum, acasing C employed which sureithe-r directly or through the action or' anrounds the tube, the tube B being provided intermediate charge. Thecartridge is gen- I with a screw thread where it engages the eralllyretained by some form of safety deinner endof the casing C, the latterscrewvice in a position Where it is away from the ing into the body ofthe fuse. detonating needle or other device which; Contained partly inthe lower end of the causes. the explosion of the cartridge such l tubeB and partly in a cavity in the body A safety device being withdrawn; or.sheared i forming a continuation of the bore of the when the impactoccurs. j tube, is a cartridge Dv of fulminate of mer- In liuses ashitherto manufactured there I cury or other high explosive. This is norlbeen considerable risk of the bursting ,'mally retained in the positionshown in the of the. projectile if the cartridge has been f drawings bya pin E of some hard metal accidentally exploded when in its normal ihaving one end which is adjacent to a disk pOSition, and the primaryobject of this inas-a punch. This disk F is of vent-.ion is to soconstruct the, fuse that the thin-metal and is heldup against theunchtube-or chamber containing thecartridge will i like end.. of thepinx E by av screwed p ug G. only burst iii thev cartridge explodes wheng Adjacent to the other end of the pin. E is a. it is in. one particularposition of the tube i chamber containingy some deormable matenamely thepart. tot which it travels when imrial such as soft Lead- H which iszincontact pact.v has occurred between the projectile with the end of aplunger J capable of and its-objective. This is accomplished aci movingin. a chamber A in the fuse body. conding; to. this invention bypnoviding the j The head oftheplunger is covered by a cup fui-ievvith atube or chamber of riiie steel or l disk K to. which the gases generatedon the otluar material of great tensile strength hav- I discharge of thegun can have access through ing a comparatively woah ortion which!openings m a screw plug A2 which closes Will. burst Lf a cartnidge expodes in it but the chamber A. At the other end "of the will not burst ifthe explosion occurs atl tube B- a screw plug L is fitted bearing a ldetonating, needle L which projects down the bore of the tube jacent tothe comparatively Some other place in the tube.

The` accompanying drawing is, a centralsection through one constructionof use ac' ceu-'ding to this invention. In operation the cartrl ge D 1snormally The fuse illustrated is a base fuse having retained in theposition shown in the drawa sorevri-threaded` body A. adapted to. beAings until on the discharge of the gun the screwed into the base of aprojectile but the I pressure oli the gases generated acting` uippnconstruction; may be modilied so. that the. the deformable. metal Hcauses it to fuse. ismounted. in some other and. to iorcethe. pin Eoutof its. hole in the at the noseof the projectile. cartridge. D.l In itsmovement the 4in er- Into.a| threaded` socket inE the body A., istforates. ther disk F and enters a' ho e =:G in Screwed Oneendofatubel,of cifle steeL or the screwed plug G. The comparatively other materialof great tensile strength. hard pin E is thus removed from the car-WeakportionBl.

position. say

until' 'its point is adl ti t) tridge and there is substituted for it apin ot' comparatively sottI metal which -will be easily sheared on evena slight impact. When impact occurs the soft shearing pin is sheared andthe cartridge moves forward inside the weak portion B of the tube whereit is exploded by the detonating needle L and bursts the weak portion ofthe tube thus igniting an explosive charge in the ,spaces M and Mbetween the tube and the casing. lt will be seen that the tube B isprovided with atiange Hi" covered on each side by a disk N ot' shalloonor like `material. The object of this is to divide up the space betweenthe tube and the casing and to prevent the explosive charge which ispacked in that space from setting back when the projectile is tired. 1twill be understood that the explosive in these spaces is not` thebursting charge proper ot the projectile butl is intended to ignite themain bursting charge which is packed around the casing C.

lt hy any combination ot' accidental circumstances the cartridge l)should be eX- ploded when it is in any other part of the tube l5 exceptthe weaker portion B the tube li is not t'ractured and consequently thecharge in the spaces M and M is not exploded. 'l`lie weak portion of thetube may in some cases be at the extremity Of the tube l but preferablyit is positioned as shown in the drawing sonic small distance troni th"`end ot' the tube remote from the normal position ot' the cartridge.There is then some s Vvare in the tube beyond the weak portion and thepresence of this space lesscns the risk ot the weak portion being burstit the cartridge is accidentally exploded when in some other part of thetube. For the saine purpose the screwed plug L carrying the dctonatingneedle L may in some eases be perforated and a space left ou the otherside o'l' it to form what may be termed an expansion chamber for thegases. It will be understood that the presence of this chamber or spacebeyond the weak p0rtion ot' the tube only has a practical effect in theeventy ot accidental explosion of the cartridge when it is not in theweak portion of the tube. tion the action is extremely rapid and thebursting of the weak part of the tube occurs immediately.

lt is to be understood that the tube of strong material having a weakportion which will burst it a cartridge explodes in it but will notburst it' the explosion occurs in sonic other place in the tube may beapplied to other forms ot' impact fuses and is only illustrated by `wayot example in a fuse in which a safety device of lead or other weakmaterial is substituted for one of stronger material.

When it is in that weak por- What I claim as my invention and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is l. 1n a fuse for a projectile thecombination of a tube of great tensile strength having one ortioncomparatively weak, a cartridge a apted to travel in such tube, a safetydevice for retaining the cartridge normally in the strong portion of thetube, means within the tube adjacent to the weak portion thereof forexplodingr the cartridge and means ope ated by the pressure of the gasesgenerated on the discharge ot' the gun for removing said satety deviceand substituting for such sat'ety device another retaining member whichis easily shear-ed n hen the impact occurs.

2. In a fuse tor a projectile, the combina-- tion with a fuse body. of atube carried thereby of such tensile strength and cross sectionaldimensions to withstand the explosive torce oi a cartridge of highpower, and a weakened portion intermediate its ends, and a casingmounted on the fuse body for supporting the weakened portion of the tuboto normally prevent its deforxnation.

3. In a fuse for a projectile. the combintr tion with a fuse body havinga portion thereof of such tensile strength and cross sectional dimensionas to withstand the explosive torce ot' a cartridge of high power, and aweakened portion intermediate its ends,y a casing mounted on the fusebody and supporting the weakened portion of the tube and to normallyprevent the deformation of the weakened portion and a. supplementaryexplosive charge surrounding the tube and `within the casing.

4. ln a fuse for projectiles, the combinatlon with a fuse body, of atube having a portion ot such tensile strength and cross sectionaldimension as to withstand the ex plosive force ot' a cartridge of highpower, a n xakened portion intermediate its ends, and a casing mountedon the fuse body and supporting the weakened portion of the tube, and aflange on the tube dividlng the space between the tube and casing lntotwo compartments and supplementary charges in such compartments.

5. In a fuse for a projectile the combination. of a fuse body, a casingmounted thereon, a tube or chamber within such cas ing and axialtherewith, such tube being ot great tensile strength but having acomparatively weak portion near the end remote troni the fuse body, adetonating needle mounted in such tube adjacent to the weak portionthereof, a cartridge of ex losive material adapted to travel in the tue, a safety device for retaining the cartridge normally at that portionof the tube remote from the detonating needle, a chamber in the fusebody adjacent to the safety device, a defit) lllt

l'ormable substance in such chamber and means operated by the pressureof the gases generated on the discharge of the gun for causing suchdeformable substance to displace the safety device thereby forming aretaining member which is easily sheared when the impact occurs.

t. ln a fuse for a projectile the combination of a fuse body, a casingmountedthereon, a tube or chamber within such casing and axialtherewith, such tube being of great ,tensile strength but having acomparatively Weak portlon near the end remote from the fuse body, adetonating needle mounted in such tube adjacent to the weak portionthereof, a cartridge of explosive material adapted to travel in thetube, a safetyT device for retaining the cartridge normally at thatportion of the tube remote from the detonating needle, a chamber in thefuse body adjacent to the safety device, a deformable substance in suchchamber, a plunger bearing against the deformable substance and a diskor diaphragm adjacent to the plunger and exposed to the pressure of thegases generated on the discharge of the gun so that such pressure istransmitted from the disk through the plunt ger to the deformablesubstance for the purt pose set forth.

7. ln a fuse for a projectile the combination of a fuse body, a casingmounted thereon, a tube or chamber within such casing and axialtherewith, such tube being of great tensile strengthbut having acomparatively weaku portlon near the end remote from the fuse body, adetonating needle mounted in such tube adjacent to the Weak portionthereof, a cartridge of ex losive material adapted to travel in the tua. shearing punch for retaining the cartridge normally at that portionof the tube remote from the detonating needle, a disk adjacent to saidpunch, a chamber in the fuse body adjacent to the shearing punch, adeformable substance 1n such chamber, a-plunger :'bearing against thedeformable substance and acted upon by the pressure of the gasesgenerated on the discharge of the gun so that the deformable substancedisplaces the shearing punch causing it to perforate the disk andsubstitute for such shearing punch a retaining Imember which is easilysheared when the impact occurs.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of y two subscribing Witnesses.

HARRY BLAND STRANGE.

Witnesses PAUL KEEToN, PERCY G. BEARD.

(topics of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commiazioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

